Currently, when performing a synthetic process requiring heterogeneous catalysis, particularly those involving noble metals (Pt, Pd, Au), the metal particles are supported on powdered amorphous carbon. Not only is the carbon material messy, it also leads to wasting the valuable noble metal particles. Alternative catalyst supports have been explored. U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,651, issued to R. Crabtree, discloses catalyst bed supports composed of clay and feldspathic sand. Composite catalyst using gelatin, clay or crystalline molecular sieves, and a zeolite beta catalyst with calcination at a temperature in the range of from 300 to 800 degrees C. are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,538 issued to Gosselink, et al. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,555, Shustack, et al. disclose porous ceramic catalyst supports, pre-coated with a passivation layer comprising gelatin.
The use of noble metal particles for the catalysis of hydrogenation or oxidation reactions is known; the synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles is discussed by Zhang, Y. et al., Facile synthesis of palladium-graphene nanocomposites and their catalysis for electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol, Electrochimica Acta, 2013, pages 570-576, 109.
One common method for producing carbon materials is the pyrolysis of carbon-containing polymers to leave behind a carbon network. The pyrolysis of bovine bone to produce conductive carbon structures for capacitors is disclosed by Goodman, et al., Preparation and characterization of high surface area, high porosity carbon monoliths from pyrolyzed bovine bone and their performance as supercapacitor electrodes, Carbon, 2013, 291-298, 55.
The novelty of the present invention using pyrolyzed osseous tissue and nanoparticle catalysts is that a high number of particles are contained within a relatively small, extremely high surface area solid support.
It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not to be viewed as being restrictive of the invention, as claimed. Further advantages of this invention will be apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments, which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings and in the appended claims.